Confidence Coaching

Positive thinking to produce results

The desire to be more confident is often one of the key aims of people seeking to improve their performance, either socially or professionally.

Lack of confidence is not restricted to certain stereotypical types of people, and you are not alone with your confidence issues; many people have insecurities and areas where they wish they could have more confidence, even those people who outwardly appear not to know the meaning of the words anxiety or worry. Nobody is confident all the time in all situations, and we have put together the following confidence coaching tips to help you improve your own self-esteem and positive approach to life.

Confidence coaching tips

Accept that you have an issue with confidence. It's nothing to be ashamed of.

Try to identify precisely the situations in which you most notice a lack of confidence. For example, many people claim to have a fear of speaking in public, yet when they analyse their fear, actually find they are afraid of addressing a group of people who are more senior or more influential than them. Therefore, it is perhaps the audience rather than the situation that drives the lack of confidence.

Be very clear about your goals. If you are hesitant about raising a point with your boss, avoid delivering a monologue. You might wish to clarify the issue and bullet point exactly what you want to say. Keep it short and simple to begin with.

Seek counsel in others. Most people have a trusted colleague or friend. These relationships can prove to be very helpful in terms of structuring outcomes and deciding upon the best approach to take. The old adage "no man is an island" is never truer, but equally you need to know who your friends are.

Accept that you can be confident and start to imagine it. If all you do is contemplate negative outcomes, you are simply reinforcing your already well developed self-image.

Consider the way you dress and present yourself. If you look the part and dress confidently, the chances are that to some extent you will actually feel more confident. That said, don't run away with the notion that a new set of clothes will solve all your confidence issues, although hopefully you can start to see that there are things you can do step by step to improve.

Don't procrastinate. If something is eating you up, take the decision to act. Plan how you are going to do it. Speak with confidence. Structure your approach. Avoid becoming too emotional. Imagine and sense a successful reaction and give it a go.

Whilst you may not be able to address the House of Commons, confidence builds in much the same way that a lack of confidence builds. You will begin to get used to the idea of tackling issues.

Celebrate every successful attempt at addressing an issue, and see it as just that - personal success.

If you still feel that you need external help with your confidence, then seeking the services of a life coach could be your key to success. Life coaching for confidence is becoming an increasingly recognised strategy, and you may be surprised at just how many politicians, high-flying business executives and other successful people have embraced coaching.